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Developers continue to scramble to update their legacy products in the wake of GameSpy's recent server shutdown, with Unreal Tournament 3 and the STALKER trilogy emerging as the latest games to update in order to maintain online play.

Epic Games has released a replacement executable for Unreal Tournament 3 that redirects online play requests to the game's new in-house master server. The fix works for both the retail and Steam versions of the game, and requires players to re-register their previous user names.

The remaining developers at shuttered studio GSC Game World have also launched their own dedicated server for the STALKER series, releasing a series of patches with updated multiplayer clients for Shadow of Chernobyl, Clear Sky, and Call of Pripyat. Steam players will receive all needed updates automatically.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>epic-gamesgamespygsc-game-worldmultiplayerpatchpcserver-shutdownstalkerunreal-tournament-3updateMon, 02 Jun 2014 13:05:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2013/06/23/garrys-mod-creator-launches-rust-in-free-alpha-think-dayz-sta/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/06/23/garrys-mod-creator-launches-rust-in-free-alpha-think-dayz-sta/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/06/23/garrys-mod-creator-launches-rust-in-free-alpha-think-dayz-sta/#comments
Garry Newman's new game is a departure from his breakout creation, Garry's Mod, but it's still slightly familiar. Rust is a survival game that started off as aDayZ clone and transitioned into a STALKER-inspired world where players build their own buildings and defenses - and they can play however they want.

"So what's to stop you from going around killing anyone you want and taking their shit and becoming more powerful?" Newman asks. "Nothing. What's stopping it from becoming a PVP killfest? You. Our job should be to give the players the tools they need. If you're sick of getting killed - start a town. Build town walls. Give all the town members red clothes. Put warning signs up outside the town. Set up trip wires and alarms. Watch each other's back."

Rust is in alpha now, accessible here - just type in any series of numbers until the "Next" button appears in the right-hand corner of the registration box. Newman and his studio, Facepunch, are working on implementing their own assets in the game and fixing bugs, so it's still early in development.

Update: The alpha is closed, for now, so put down your keyboards and take a deep breath. Keep an eye out for updates on the Rust forums.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>alphadayzfreegarry-newmangarrys-modpcrustStalkerSun, 23 Jun 2013 22:30:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2013/01/13/amazon-thq-sale-metro-2033-red-faction-guerrilla-more-for-91/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/01/13/amazon-thq-sale-metro-2033-red-faction-guerrilla-more-for-91/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/01/13/amazon-thq-sale-metro-2033-red-faction-guerrilla-more-for-91/#commentsThe Tantalizing THQ Medley on Amazon includes downloads of Metro 2033, Homefront, Red Faction Armageddon, Red Faction Guerrilla, S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl and Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine, all for $12. Regularly priced, this bundle comes out to $118, so that's a savings of 91 percent. Buying all six games is cheaper than getting one by itself, so if you're in the market for any of these, it's your lucky day.

Actually, it's your lucky days: The Tantalizing THQ Medley will be on sale through January 20 as Amazon's Deal of the Week.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>amazonhomefrontMetro-2033pcRed-Faction-ArmageddonRed-Faction-GuerrillasaleStalkerTHQwarhammer-40000-space-marinewarhammer-40k-space-marineSun, 13 Jan 2013 15:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2012/07/08/mmofps-survarium-gets-new-screens-story-details/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/07/08/mmofps-survarium-gets-new-screens-story-details/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/07/08/mmofps-survarium-gets-new-screens-story-details/#commentsVostok Games, composed of developers from the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. series, elaborates on its coming free-to-play MMOFPS Survarium in a new developer diary video. The game is set in the near future, after a "mass-scale ecological catastrophe" leaves Earth a wasteland.

As seen above, the video details the five skills that players level up by completing faction missions. Survarium will require a constant connection to the Internet and will not include a single player mode. The gameis expected to launch on PC at the end of 2013, just a few years before the world goes to hell (according to Survarium, of course).

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>dev-diaryfree-to-playmmofpspcStalkerSurvariumvostokvostok-gamesSun, 08 Jul 2012 15:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2011/12/09/rumor-s-t-a-l-k-e-r-developer-gsc-shut-down/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/12/09/rumor-s-t-a-l-k-e-r-developer-gsc-shut-down/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/12/09/rumor-s-t-a-l-k-e-r-developer-gsc-shut-down/#comments
Ukrainian developer GSC Game World, creators of the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. series, have reportedly shut down. The details regarding the closure are currently very s.k.e.t.c.h.y. UkraNews reports, citing sources, that CEO Sergei Grigorovich told the staff in a meeting this morning that he had decided to close the company. GSC is said to have had between 40-50 employees.

RockPaperShotgun, which has been on top of this story, got in touch with GSC and obtained the ominous: "Sorry, no comments at this point."

STALKER 2 was expected to launch sometime in 2012. We'll update as more information becomes available.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>GSC-Game-WorldlayoffspcStalkerstalker-2stalker-call-of-pripyatFri, 09 Dec 2011 12:20:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2010/11/11/russian-stalker-tv-series-teased/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/11/11/russian-stalker-tv-series-teased/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/11/11/russian-stalker-tv-series-teased/#commentsA teaser site has revealed that a TV series based on the Stalker FPS franchise is being developed for Russian television. The site is called "KinoS.T.A.L.K.E.R." ("kino" meaning "film" in Russian), has both an English and a Russian section, and was linked to by Ukraine's GSC Game World's Facebook profile. There's also a trailer on the site, subtitled in English, though it's hard to tell what's going on with all the series standards in there -- including mutants, darkness, and explosions aplenty.

Still, the site clearly states that there is a "TV series coming soon" based on the property, which itself takes influence from Andrei Tarkovsky's 1979 film, as well as the old science fiction story "Roadside Picnic." Stalker fans will probably be happy to hear that the series will mutate into yet another form of media.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>GSC-Game-WorldrussiaStalkerstalker-2teasertrailertv-seriesThu, 11 Nov 2010 16:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2010/08/21/s-t-a-l-k-e-r-bundle-is-75-off-on-steam-this-weekend/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/08/21/s-t-a-l-k-e-r-bundle-is-75-off-on-steam-this-weekend/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/08/21/s-t-a-l-k-e-r-bundle-is-75-off-on-steam-this-weekend/#comments
Two parts of GSC Game World's eerie FPS series -- set in an alternate-reality Chernobyl following a second nuclear meltdown -- can be yours on the super cheap. Both the original S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyland follow-up S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Call of Pripyatare bundled together for only $10 on Steam through Monday. (The S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky prequel game is not part of the bundle; but it's is available separately for $10 on Steam.)

The full-on S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 sequel was recently announced and scheduled for release in 2012. While that gives you plenty of time to get to caught up, this weekend Steam sale might just be the excuse you were looking for to book your first trip to Chernobyl. That whole nuclear meltdown incident made it quite a lovely place for scavenging, trespassing, adventuring, loner-ing, killing, exploring and robbing. See what we did there?

Developer GSC Game World has just revealed an official sequel to the popular first-person shooter, STALKER: Shadow of Chernobyl, is currently in development. A statement on the developer's official site hints at console support this time around, stating a "completely new multi-platform technology developed by GSC will make the core of the game." So long X-ray engine!

"After the official sales of the series exceeded 4 million copies worldwide, we had no doubts left to start creating a new big game in the STALKER universe," said Sergiy Grygorovych, CEO of GSC Game World. "This will be the next chapter of the mega-popular game players expect from us." STALKER: Shadow of Chernobyl launched in 2007 and was followed up by a prequel in 2008, called STALKER: Clear Sky. Earlier this year, GSC Game World launched STALKER: Shadow of Chernobyl, an expansion that continued the events of Shadow of Chernobyl.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>gsc-game-worldpcstalkerstalker-2Stalker-Shadow-of-ChernobylFri, 13 Aug 2010 17:40:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2010/01/03/final-day-of-steam-holiday-sale-wraps-up-the-best-sellers/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/01/03/final-day-of-steam-holiday-sale-wraps-up-the-best-sellers/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/01/03/final-day-of-steam-holiday-sale-wraps-up-the-best-sellers/#comments
Okay, this is it: The penultimate batch of offers in the long-running Steam Holiday Sale. For the final day of the long-running promotion, Valve has elected to re-encheapen some of the games that sold like hotcakes in the sale's earlier one-day discounts. Until 9 a.m. PST tomorrow, the following games will be available for the following prices:

Do you like acronyms? Sure, we all do. So it's with much E.X.C.I.T.E.M.E.N.T. that we relay word via BigDownload that GCS Game World's follow-up to S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Shadow of Chernobyl, Call of Pripyat, has been scheduled for February 2010 release by publisher bitComposer. It'll be one of the very first DirectX 11 games, but don't tell that to the mutated creep in the above image -- we're pretty sure he/she/it no longer has ears.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bitcomposerGCS-Game-Worldrelease-dateStalkerstalker-call-of-pripyatstalker-shadow-of-chernobylFri, 11 Dec 2009 19:45:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/27/stalker-shadow-of-chernobyl-at-5-on-steam-until-monday/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/27/stalker-shadow-of-chernobyl-at-5-on-steam-until-monday/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/27/stalker-shadow-of-chernobyl-at-5-on-steam-until-monday/#comments
The highly under-appreciated shooter S.T.A.L.K.E.R: Shadow of Chernobyl is on sale for the low price of $5 on Valve's Steam platform until Monday. Developed by Ukrainian-based GSC Game World, the 2007 shooter takes place in an alternate reality where a second nuclear disaster takes place in at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine.

Normally priced at $19.99, Shadow of Chernobyl is a steal at $5; however, as solid as the FPS is, it also includes numerous video game storyline cliches like an amnesiac protagonist and flesh-hunting mutants. Where are all the games with flesh-hunting amnesiac mutants, right?

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bargainsFPSgsc-game-worldsalesShadow-of-Chernobylstalkerstalker-shadow-of-chernobylsteamthqTue, 27 Oct 2009 23:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2009/09/23/s-t-a-l-k-e-r-call-of-pripyat-irradiating-pcs-first-quarter-20/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/09/23/s-t-a-l-k-e-r-call-of-pripyat-irradiating-pcs-first-quarter-20/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/09/23/s-t-a-l-k-e-r-call-of-pripyat-irradiating-pcs-first-quarter-20/#comments
We've mused on the subject before, but we're still a bit bewildered that a third game set in the shadow of a two-time nuclear fallout zone is on its way in the form of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Call of Pripyat. Sure, the series has twice proven itself to be an enjoyable blend of creepy atmosphere and technical prowess, but between all the guns and high doses of radiation, how is anyone left to talk about? The game's developer, GSC Gameworld, is busy figuring out that problem, effectively pushing back the game to a "first quarter 2010" release, according to the game page on publisher bitComposer's website.

In the meantime, to help sate your need for more S.T.A.L.K.E.R., the company has updated its thrilling PC requirements spec sheet for the game, which we've dropped after the break.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bitcomposerbitcomposer-gamescall-of-pripyatFPSGSC-Game-Worldgsc-gameworldrelease-datespecsstalkerstalker-call-of-pripyatViva-MediaWed, 23 Sep 2009 17:57:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2009/08/19/namco-bringing-stalker-call-of-prypiat-to-pcs-this-november/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/08/19/namco-bringing-stalker-call-of-prypiat-to-pcs-this-november/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/08/19/namco-bringing-stalker-call-of-prypiat-to-pcs-this-november/#commentsclick to E.N.L.A.R.G.E.
In its GamesCom press conference in Germany this morning, Namco Bandai revealed that it would be handling publishing duties for GSC Game World's latest entry in the STALKER series, titled STALKER: Call of Prypiat. Scheduled for release in November 2009 for PCs only (where's the console love?), this "standalone expansion" contains approximately seven to nine hours of gameplay -- "more if you want to explore the free world." It's not clear if Namco is handling publishing duties outside of Europe, but we'll update this post when we find out.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>fpsGamesCom-2009GSC-Game-WorldNamco-BandaiSTALKERStalker-Call-of-PrypiatWed, 19 Aug 2009 11:36:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2009/05/18/s-t-a-l-k-e-r-call-of-pripyat-gets-official-site-specs/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/05/18/s-t-a-l-k-e-r-call-of-pripyat-gets-official-site-specs/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/05/18/s-t-a-l-k-e-r-call-of-pripyat-gets-official-site-specs/#comments
We just don't get upcoming stand-alone expansion S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Call of Pripyat. Not only are people hanging out in irradiated Ukraine after the second Chernobyl disaster, there's apparently enough of them for three games in this series. Also, did you see the part where that was the second Chernobyl disaster? What more do you people need?

If you're one of the slow ones still waiting for the real estate market around Chernobyl to pick up, you may be interested to hear that CoP has just gotten an official site as well as the specs needed to play the game, which you can find after the break. Feel free to check them out, but might we suggest those clicks might be better spent booking the first flight out of there?

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>fpsgsc-game-worldstalkerstalker-call-of-pripyatMon, 18 May 2009 21:10:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2009/05/01/s-t-a-l-k-e-r-stand-alone-expansion-call-of-pripyat-detailed/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/05/01/s-t-a-l-k-e-r-stand-alone-expansion-call-of-pripyat-detailed/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/05/01/s-t-a-l-k-e-r-stand-alone-expansion-call-of-pripyat-detailed/#comments
The Ukraine continues to be a popular tourist trap for mutants and Geiger counter salesmen. GSC Game World will again revisit the Eastern European country in S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Call of Pripyat, an upcoming "stand-alone expansion" to S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl. The Escapist recently culled some rad details on the upcoming title from the pages of Russian mag Gameplay, which reportedly referred to the game as a sequel set just days after the events depicted in the 2007 original.

Among the particulars is information that players won't be able to side with factions this time around, with more 'varied' and 'detailed' side quests promised instead. Day and night cycles are also said to figure more prominently in the game, with the article claiming that the developers are aiming to fix "mistakes" made in both the first game and its prequel, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Clear Sky. Check out the full translation, as well as scans from the magazine on the FPSBanana forums while we wait in our lead bunker for S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Call of Pripyat to drop sometime this fall.

For the freebies this week, we've got Tomb Raider Anniversary -- but only for this week. A friendly reminder, Grimm is free to play for the first 24 hours of release. Full list of free games after the break.

We know the news of a brief delay for the much-anticipated prequel to GSC Game World's S.T.A.L.K.E.R.must be disheartening for fans of the title -- however, those same fans will probably be pleased to know of the heartbreak that Clear Sky's delay will ultimately prevent. It seems that publisher Deep Purple Silver recalled copies of the title that had been distributed to North American retailers due to a printing error that left the cases sans CD keys. Apparently, those things are kinda important.

Deep Silver explained that the delay would only push the game's North American Sept. 5 release back "a few days" (the European release date is unaffected by the printing snafu), though a few retailers are listing Sept. 15 as the new launch date. We know you're jonesing for some further adventures in Chernobyl, but don't do anything brash. We wouldn't suggest playing laser tag in a poorly maintained nuclear waste repository, for instance.

With the sun setting on S.T.A.L.K.E.R. prequel Clear Sky's development, GSC Game World has let us know that it's finally safe to venture outside -- provided you're packing enough firepower to keep the ravenous and irrevocably irradiated hordes at bay. The anticipated FPS is finally dawn done and should be taking us for a first-person stroll through Chernobyl's utterly charming neighborhood on September 5th (yes, that counts as a minor delay).

If you're the sort who can tell your GPU from your PPU (doesn't that fit into the SKU?), you should be pleased to note that S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Clear Sky will feature support for both DirectX 9 and DirectX 10 chipsets. You'll be wanting those hideously deformed mutants to look their best when they tear your throat out.

There are just a couple more months remaining before we'll have to once again climb into our radiation suits and deal with the horrible mutants outside, so developer GSC Game World and newly named publisher Deep Silver have sent along some handy details regarding what we can expect from their forthcoming radioactive PC shooter, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Clear Sky.

According to the duo, the game, which promises a kind of "what-if" spin on the events depicted in last year's S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl, will place players in the role of a mercenary s.t.a.l.k.e.r. named Scar, caught up in a war over "territory, artifacts, and power." Pretty "dynamic" graphics are also promised, with Clear Sky supporting -- but not requiring -- DirectX 10. Other highlighted features include new and "overhauled" levels from the previous game, fast travel, "movie quality" cut scenes, and "greatly improved" AI. Additionally, a new animation engine and "hugely expanded" multiplayer for up to 32 players online or over a LAN will also be included, for those special moments when slaughtering hordes of radioactive mutants just isn't enough.

With S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Clear Sky shipping worldwide on August 29, Deep Silver has announced that it will handle publishing duties in North America for developer GSC Game World's upcoming prequel to 2007's S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl. We think it's particularly interesting that Deep Silver, a UK-based studio that only established a US footprint last month in Los Angeles, has been trusted to steer the game's North American debut instead of THQ, which handled the original game's release last year.

As the latest in GSC's considerable plans for the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. universe, the game promises a "what-if" look at the events leading up to last year's FPS/RPG hybrid, and according to Deep Silver was "created as a warning to mankind against mindless play with technologies" -- especially, we assume, any tech that can give rise to hordes of radioactive beasties.

PC gamers will be frolicking through the radioactive wastelands of Chernobyl once more with the release of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Clear Sky, now set for August 29th. The post-apocalyptic prequel promises "an alternative look" into the events of 2007's S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl, pitting players against radioactive decay and mutated creatures with one too many of something. Probably teeth. Also, it's apparently "set in 2011 and brings forth the events to have preceded the third campaign of Strelok to the Zone center." Exciting!

Developer GSC Game World aims to ship the shooter simultaneously worldwide "according to the agreed plan." If said plan falls through, there's always the consolation of the game's day and date release on Steam.

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Clear Sky - GCS Game World's prequel to their long-in-development and well-received "survival FPS" S.T.A.L.K.E.R. - will be available for digital distribution exclusively on Steam, where the original game is available for a reasonable $20. If you're not into getting your games virtually, it will still be available in stores on the very same day "later this year." Now the question is whether or not "later this year" falls within the estimated Q1 release; considering the original's six year development cycle and their otherongoingprojects, we're not placing any bets.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>GCS-Game-WorldPCSTALKERSTALKER-Clear-SkySteamThu, 24 Jan 2008 21:08:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/01/02/man-arrested-for-stalking-girls-via-halo/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/01/02/man-arrested-for-stalking-girls-via-halo/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/01/02/man-arrested-for-stalking-girls-via-halo/#comments
A New York man by the name of Joshua R. Stetar was arrested Friday for stalking two young girls, a 15-year-old and her sister, he met while playing an unspecified title in the Halofranchise. Stetar, 20 years old, had discovered the girl's address by searching online and had been sending flowers and other packages -- which her parents returned -- to her home since they first met online in 2006. Stetar had apparently driven 40 hours straight from his home in Saratoga Springs, New York to the girl's home in Spokane, Washington, where he drove by her house and sent her threatening text messages. According to the Associated Press, the girl's parents were outside the home at the time and saw Stetar driving past. They wrote down Stetar's license plate number and called the police, who later tracked down Stetar at a hotel and arrested him. He has since posted the $10,000 bond and was released on Saturday.

A disturbing story to be sure. Let this be a reminder to the parents out there to utilize the 360's parental controls and keep an eye on what their kids are playing.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>343-IndustriesBungieBungie-StudioscrimeFPShalohalo-3Microsoft-Game-StudiosstalkerstalkingWed, 02 Jan 2008 16:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2007/12/17/s-t-a-l-k-e-r-creators-seriously-considering-an-mmog/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/12/17/s-t-a-l-k-e-r-creators-seriously-considering-an-mmog/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/12/17/s-t-a-l-k-e-r-creators-seriously-considering-an-mmog/#commentsFiled under: PC, First Person Shooters, MMOIn much the same way that Elder Scrolls games are like Everquest without stupid people, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. sort of reminded us of Anarchy Online without the crushing, ever-present stench of failure. It seems that the similarities to an MMO have not been lost on the creators of the game, who chatted about the possibilities in a recent Q&A with fans.

When asked if S.T.A.L.K.E.R.Online was in the works, GSC Game World shot down the idea of an online co-op version of the game, but said "If you mean an MMOG, then we are seriously considering it," which should definitely be encouraging news for fans. If GSC goes from "seriously considering" to "seriously announcing" it, we'll be sure to let you know.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>gscgameworldmmoPCstalkerMon, 17 Dec 2007 14:40:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2007/11/26/s-t-a-l-k-e-r-port-may-be-destined-for-360/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/11/26/s-t-a-l-k-e-r-port-may-be-destined-for-360/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/11/26/s-t-a-l-k-e-r-port-may-be-destined-for-360/#commentsAgain, we find ourselves in the awkward position of looking up a PC game to find out whether or not we should be interested in it. You see, another PC developer, in this case GSC Game World, has gotten all cozy with the Xbox 360. The company, responsible for the recent PC FPS S.T.A.L.K.E.R., has announced that it is now officially a certified Xbox 360 developer. So, now we're looking up S.T.A.L.K.E.R. to see if we should be excited. We seem to remember reading the name on Joystiq quite a bit a while back ... oh, look at that! It has an 82 average on Metacritic, so that's a good sign, right?

We should probably mention that GSC has not announced that S.T.A.L.K.E.R. is headed to the 360, but it makes sense to us. Then again, so did Pogs. And we all knew how that turned out.

After spending some six years developing the PC first-person shooter S.T.A.L.K.E.R., we figured it would be some time after the game's long-delayed release last March before we heard from Ukraine's GSC Game World again. We were, of course, wrong as not two months after the game's debut the studio came forward with a burst of enthusiasm for its radioactive baby, announcing plans for "several subsequent new products" in the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. franchise. Just what projects the company has in the works remains anyone's guess, though a new posting on GSC's official website confirms that the studio is now a certified Xbox 360 developer, which has us wondering if GSC plans to irradiate Microsoft's console with a port of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. anytime soon.

According to GSC, the effort to get Microsoft's seal of approval took the studio 2 years, and that "from now on, our old ambition to create multiplatform projects has become a reality." So, does this mean that yet another PC developer has been lured away, wooed by the sultry siren's song of console game development? Probably, though GSC chief exec Sergiy Grygorovych adds that the company plans to continue to pay "maximum attention to the PC platform." You hear that PC zealots? Put the pitchforks down please, we're all friends here.

According to GSC Game World's website, the S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl developer plans to announce "several subsequent new products in the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. universe already" during July's Min-E3. Several projects? Already?

S.T.A.L.K.E.R., originally scheduled for a 2003 release, was pushed back four years until March 2007. Keeping the multiple titles in the same universe might help speed up things, but we hope they don't get into too many development issues trying to juggle so much. S.T.A.L.K.E.R., despite having a title quite cumbersome to write, is a very entertaining and atmospheric (scary) open-ended shooter, and we'd love to see another game in the series -- we just want it this decade.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>gscPCstalkerWed, 16 May 2007 21:42:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2007/03/27/s-t-a-l-k-e-r-patch-renders-old-game-saves-useless/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/03/27/s-t-a-l-k-e-r-patch-renders-old-game-saves-useless/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/03/27/s-t-a-l-k-e-r-patch-renders-old-game-saves-useless/#commentsFiled under: PC, First Person ShootersA new patch released for the long-delayedS.T.A.L.K.E.R. addresses a whopping 68 bugs ranging from minor typos to serious multiplayer blunders. But just like the wonder drugs advertised on TV, the side effects are pretty nasty. After installing the patch your instructions are to delete all files from the save game folder. Every. Single. One. Game saves created before the patch was installed will not work afterwards.

And so begins the great debate: do you install now, or try to finish the game and hope it doesn't crash?

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>patchPCstalkerthqTue, 27 Mar 2007 20:42:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2007/03/22/metareview-s-t-a-l-k-e-r-shadow-of-chernobyl/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/03/22/metareview-s-t-a-l-k-e-r-shadow-of-chernobyl/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/03/22/metareview-s-t-a-l-k-e-r-shadow-of-chernobyl/#commentsFiled under: PC, First Person Shooters, MetareviewsJust months after the glitz and glamor of its inaugural debut on Wired's annual Vaporware awards, the long-delayed S.T.A.L.K.E.R. cozied up on retail shelves next to other evidently non-vaporous games. Yes, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. is a real boy now and it's more than a little exciting to see that the ambitious title made the journey from idea to interactive game more or less intact. Sure, the years in limbo didn't do much to help the once impressive engine, but reviews praise the title's innovative aspects -- namely the open-ended, and S.C.A.R.Y., gameplay.

Yahoo! (90/100) offers a poop metaphor that actually makes us want to play the game ... albeit alone ... and with a fresh pair of drawers nearby: "given all its troubles we're fortunate to have a game at all, let alone one this good. Its setting is superb, its gameplay tense and convincing, and it boasts what are definitely the best fill-your-pants moments in a PC game for quite some time. It's hard to see how it could have turned out better."

GameSpot (85/100) loves the open-endedness, and gives us the mash-up genre descriptor we've been waiting for: "At its heart, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. is a first-person survival game that blends action with role-playing. This isn't a linear game, like Half-Life or Call of Duty, where you basically are restricted to a straight path and are taken for a tightly controlled and scripted ride. S.T.A.L.K.E.R.'s huge environments and open-ended gameplay make it more like a role-playing game, as you can go where you want and do what you want if you're willing to live with the consequences."

Eurogamer (80/100) offers easily the most compelling review, despite its lower score: "For some people the odd rough brokenness of Stalker will frustrate and annoy. It isn't finely polished, and it's not Hollywood; this is more like an antidote to the Americanised way of doing things. It's a warped behemoth from the Ukraine, and one of the scariest games on the PC."

Sold! We've been hungry for a first-person shooter that requires mandatory underwear changes as part of its design; System Shock 2 was so long ago, and Bioshock is delayed. We want this sort of experience.

Delayed once to avoid the holiday rush. Delayed a second time to add some spit and polish. Since 2003 this poor little game has been repeatedly shoved on the back burner and ignored. But now, according to publisher THQ, S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl has wrapped up development is is sitting around just waiting to be shipped. This month. Seriously!

Set in an alternate-reality post-apocalyptic Chernobyl, the gritty first person shooter promises weather effects, intelligent AI, destructible objects and a robust multiplayer mode. The stuttering S.T.A.L.K.E.R. release smells a lot like the Preydelays or the now-laughable Duke Nukem Forever, but if it turns out as interesting as it sounds, maybe it can actually make a dent in the crowded FPS market.

When a needlessly cryptic countdown appears on a website built to promote a specific title, we naturally assume that it's counting down to a release date. But without an official confirmation, we're a bit hesitant to call the clock currently running on the S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl website a release countdown. We've been scorned before, baby. We know your dirty little tricks.

Originally announced in 2001, GSC Game World's S.T.A.L.K.E.R has been the recipient of many a vaporware award throughout its illustrious career of back burning. Having consulted the Joystiq abacus, we have determined that the countdown ends on March 22nd, 2007. What will happen exactly is up in the air. It could be a release date, or possibly even a demo of the game. It could even be an announcement of an announcement! S.T.A.L.K.E.R to be retooled into a Daikatana expansion pack confirmed!

S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl fell into a nice little category along the likes of Duke Nukem Forever in being an oft-delayed (yes, that does say 2004) game that many assumed would never see the light of day (as well as rumors of a full-on cancellation). Announced first in 2001 and sporting an original release date of 2003, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. suffered numerous delays, all without an end in sight. However, it takes a video found on YouTube to give us some hope that the game is actually going to be released; the release date is ever so soon.

In the above video, we see a collage of Chernobyl video with a few hints of in-game play. At the end of the video, we see what appears to be "We opened the gates to hell" written in German followed by a tantalizing March 2007. Not only are we getting a release date, it is coming very soon. This is certainly a great Christmas present for S.T.A.L.K.E.R. fans ... assuming it isn't some cruel hoax.

If this clip is any indication STALKER will be one hell of a looker. The 55 MB Xvid file shows off real footage of Chernobyl , and compares it to the in-game graphics. According to the site, Oblivion-Lost, the incredible effect is due to chroma keying. While we could see the transition take place, it's an impressive display.

The server is getting hit really hard now. Hopefully some mirrors will go up soon.

A little sketchy, but apparently a Russian games magazine has run a competition to win reserved spots in the beta for STALKER. This has led some folks to speculate that a public beta is going to happen very soon.

STALKER is due in a couple of months. Plenty of time to iron out all the bugs. *cough*

The site is worth a look round if you have any interest in this moderately disturbing game.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>PCStalkerFri, 18 Feb 2005 15:33:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2005/01/23/s-t-a-l-k-e-r-shots-wallpaper-worthy/http://www.joystiq.com/2005/01/23/s-t-a-l-k-e-r-shots-wallpaper-worthy/http://www.joystiq.com/2005/01/23/s-t-a-l-k-e-r-shots-wallpaper-worthy/#commentsFiled under: PC, First Person ShootersOblivion Lost as posted some high-rez shots of STALKER. They take a long time to view, but a couple of them are worth it. Which ones? Well, we'd check out #s 2 and 5. They're bright, outdoor shots that really show off the care to detail these guys are going for. The shots also continue to look a lot like Half-Life 2. This means while you're playing it, you can pretend your buddy Freeman is in the town over the hill taking out his own baddies.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>PCStalkerSun, 23 Jan 2005 13:49:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2005/01/09/gawk-at-these-stalker-shots/http://www.joystiq.com/2005/01/09/gawk-at-these-stalker-shots/http://www.joystiq.com/2005/01/09/gawk-at-these-stalker-shots/#commentsFiled under: PC, First Person ShootersSome very nice screenshots of STALKER have been posted on Gamers Hell. The 35 pics lay out an eerie scene of dismay and decay. It reminds me of my neighborhood, actually. The impressive round-up just makes us hunger for the game more. It has a certain Half-Life 2 feel to it. Could it be as good? Doubtful, but we'd even settle for "almost as good" since that would ensure an excellent title.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>PCStalkerSun, 09 Jan 2005 11:23:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2004/12/22/worthplaying-gives-us-more-stalker/http://www.joystiq.com/2004/12/22/worthplaying-gives-us-more-stalker/http://www.joystiq.com/2004/12/22/worthplaying-gives-us-more-stalker/#commentsFiled under: Culture, PC, First Person ShootersWorthplaying has posted the latest STALKER game clip. Now that Half-Life 2 is safely in the annals of history, we all look to the future for the games that want its crown. STALKER shows a lot of promise, with a great looking engine, a story that sounds freaky and a dedicated developer who has made some tough calls (i.e. delays) to get this title made. A nice combination, that could add up to a great experience for all of us. We shall see. Check out the clip. It shows off some multiplayer action.

The same page also has a link to a Darkwatch snippet, another first person shooter with cinematic aspirations. It looks more old-fashioned, with a Van Helsig figure blowing away deformed baddies. Nice touch at the end, we must admit. Gross!

STALKER, the first-person shooter set in a post-apocalyptic Chernobyl, has just entered the long line of AAA titles that get delayed. The first delay was, allegedly, market-based, with the publisher wanting to avoid competing with holiday titles (sounds smart). Oddly, the second delay is due to quality assuarance. The developer wants some more time to make the game as perfect as they can. You won't get any complaints from us. We can wait for perfection.

I'm reading The Stand by Stephen King, and these screenshots remind me of the desolate, post-apocalyptic world he paints. The abandoned buildings, the vast landscapes, filled with nothing. Creepy stuff. It just looks like the kind of world you'd want to be armed in. Luckily, STALKER will arm you to the teeth, as a couple of pics show. Better to take on the zombies with. These are good shots - definitely wallpaper-worthy.